Since getting paired together, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins have mostly shared frustration from their inability to carry the Pelicans to wins despite their impressive performances.

On Sunday night, they finally experienced a change.

They enjoyed their first victory together, helping the Pelicans beat the Los Angeles Lakers 105-97 at the Staples Center. It didn't come easy, though. The Lakers fought back from a 14-point deficit by going on a 14-0 run late in the fourth to tie the score at 97, as forward Julius Randle split a pair of free throws.

However, Davis put the Pelicans (25-38) ahead for good, 99-97, with a 14-foot jumper and point guard Jrue Holiday extended the margin to 102-97 after making a 3-pointer with 54 seconds remaining.

''I thought we hung in and found a way to win,'' Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. ''I thought we had a little more ball movement and I thought we did a good job of executing. We just had better all-around execution.''

Cousins finished with 26 points and achieved a milestone by scoring his 10,000 career point in the second quarter after making two free throws. Cousins made 9-of-21 shots and grabbed 15 rebounds before fouling out with 1:54 remaining in the game.

The Lakers came in with the worst record in the Western Conference at 19-43. With Sunday's loss, the Lakers have now dropped seven in a row.

Until playing the Lakers, Cousins hadn't enjoyed a win, going 0-4, while in the lineup since he was acquired in a blockbuster trade on Feb. 19 from the Sacramento. New Orleans came into the game trailing the Denver Nuggets by four games for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference.

After trailing by four at halftime, the Pelicans took control of matters at the start of the third quarter when they went on a 24-8 spurt to take a 78-67 lead. Behind Davis' 10 points, the Pelicans went on to outscore the Lakers 28-14 in the quarter to build a 12-point lead.

Davis and Cousins appeared to take turns at taking advantage of the Lakers' less-than-desirable defensive play. Often, Davis and Cousins were able to drive the lane for shots. In the first half, Cousins made his first 3-pointers attempted.

In the first half, Davis and Cousins combined to score 33 of the Pelicans' 55 points, but they still trailed by four at halftime.

After his first five games with the Pelicans, Cousins has averaged 23.0 points and 15.2 rebounds. He will be back in action on Monday night when the Pelicans close out their two-game road trip against the Utah Jazz.

Offensive breakdown: The Pelicans took control of the game in the third quarter when they outscored the Lakers 28-14 to build a 12-point lead. For most of the game, the offense flowed much better with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins paired together. Cousins was more aggressive in his attack, taking advantage of his perimeter scoring and from the post. Both Cousins and Davis broke down the Lakers' poor defensive coverages. Point guard Jrue Holiday also did a job attacking and getting the ball to Davis and Cousins. Holiday scored 20 points and had 12 assists. Offense still more production from Solomon Hill, who scored five points. Grade B.

Defensive breakdown: Throughout the fourth quarter, the Pelicans had too many breakdowns. They didn't do a good enough job with ball pressure on Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell. Fortunately, the Pelicans made big shots down the stretch but defensively they surrendered 64 percent shooting and were repeatedly late on contesting jump shots. Grade C.